Making Memories
by NCIS-Addict-4427
Summary: A collection of one-shots as they pop into my head. Some episode-related, others not. Most chapters are innocent it will be posted at the top if the chapter is a different rating. "BURNED" now up: Kate gets sunburned during a trip to the Hamptons.
1. Probable Cause Part 1

**This is a little drabble that popped into my head after seeing "Probable Cause," which I didn't get to see until yesterday because Hurricane Sandy killed my power. Anyway, I think I'll make this story the home of any one-shots I come up with and have no other place to post. Enjoy.**

* * *

Once Tyson was definitely in the water, Rick wrapped his arms around Kate's shoulders and pulled her to him. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing her in, thinking of how close he came to losing her- again. She hugged him back with all the strength she had, a soft sob escaping her, for she had almost lost him as well.

After a few moments of silence, Kate gently broke apart. "Let's call this in, and then we'll go home." He didn't know if home meant her place or his, but it didn't matter, because wherever she was was home.

* * *

They went back to his place, figuring that his family was probably worried about him. After an hour of questions from Martha and Alexis, they both headed out for the evening, Martha to her studio and Alexis to her dorm.

Kate had just finished putting up the coffee, and brought both of their mugs over to the couch. She handed him his mug, and sat down beside him, as close to his side as she could be without being on top of him. He draped an arm over her shoulder, and she nuzzled into him. They sat in comfortable silence, just happy that they were both together.

"Kate?"

"Hm?" she answered, the cup of coffee pressed to lips.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You know I would never cheat on you, right?" He knew his voice was trembling. Kate recognized the fear masked in his tone.

"I know, Rick. When they found those emails...I didn't know what to think. But I've known you long enough to know you're not that man. At least, not anymore."

"Kate, I may have been with many women when I was younger- and believe me, those days were not my finest moments- but I was never with more than one woman at once. If I was yours, I was no one else's. And Meredith cheated on me. I know the sting of having someone betray your trust, and I would never ever do that to anyone, especially someone I care about as much as I care about you."

"I know that, too. Which is why I couldn't believe any of this. Lanie kept asking me how well I really know you...and I told her I knew you well enough to know you would never do something like this."

"Katie," he began, putting down his mug on the coffee table. "You don't have to say it back to me yet if you're not ready, and it's not like you haven't already heard it, but I really just need to say it out loud. I love you, Kate. I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world. And I would never- NEVER- dream of doing anything that would hurt you. Because I could never survive losing you."

Tears started to swim in her eyes as she too put down her mug. She brought a hand up to his cheek to stroke the rough stubble there. "I love you, too, Rick. And I could not live without you either." The tears that she had desperately been trying to hold in for days now began flowing like the dam to her soul had broken. He pulled her into his embrace, resting his head atop hers, his tears falling into her hair as hers saturated his shirt.

"I almost lost you," she whispered.

"I know. But we're here now, together. And that's what's important, right?"

She sniffled, wiping away some tears with the sleeve of her shirt. "Right."

"How's your cheek, baby? You've got a nasty cut there."

"It's a little sore, but nothing I can't handle."

"Good." He kissed her temple. "Why don't we head to bed, hm?"

"Sounds like a plan, Mr. Castle."

* * *

It had been days since they'd fallen asleep together. She hated having to leave him in holding overnight, while she went home alone. She honestly could not fall asleep with out his arms wrapped around her. _When did I become that girl? _She wondered. But she honestly couldn't bring herself to care. She loved him too much, and she was perfectly happy with that.

He was taking a much deserved shower, so she took this time to change into the pajamas she kept at his place. They were only a pair of leggings and a t-shirt, and she was cold, so she went looking for one of his sweatshirts. It was at least two sizes too big on her, but it was warm and smelled like him, and it made her feel safe for the first time in days.

"Ah, it's nice to be back in my own home, with my own fluffy robe," he announced, exiting the bathroom. He was such a girl sometimes. "But I'm happier that I'm here with my girl." He took in her current wardrobe. "And there's nothing sexier than finding her in my clothes."

She crawled across the bed, and pulled him down to kiss her. "I love you," she told him, eyes sparkling.

"I love you too."

He padded to his dresser, tugged on a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt, then made his way back to his amazing, gorgeous girlfriend.

They snuggled up under the covers, Kate's back pressed into Rick's stomach, his arm draped tightly over her waist, pulling her to him. Kate was already asleep, and he was fading fast. He breathed in the scent of his bed mingling with the strong scent of cherries. Boy, was he glad to be home.

* * *

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Drop a line!**


	2. Probable Cause Part 2

**Hello people! I'm sorry this is so short. I've really only had inspiration in short bursts recently. So I'd rather post something short than try to make it longer and have it come out awful. So please, enjoy this little snippet, also based on 'Probable Cause.'**

* * *

When she awoke the next morning, she felt more relaxed than she had in ages. She was still snuggled up in her boyfriend's arms- gosh, they really were boyfriend & girlfriend now, weren't they?- and she had absolutely no intention of leaving his embrace anytime soon, since Gates had given her the day off due to her near-death experience.

Being the excellent detective she was, she soon realized she was not the only one awake. She could feel his even breathing on the back of her neck, his fingers dancing patterns across her stomach. She rolled over in his arms so she could face him.

"Well good morning, gorgeous," he whispered, brushing hair away from her face.

"Good morning yourself, handsome," she answered, leaning in to kiss him. It was slow and tender, nothing like the passionate, frenzied ones they were used to. They kissed languidly a moment longer, just reveling in the fact they they were here and alive and together.

"I love you," she told him. He almost melted at the sight of the smile that was playing on her lips.

"I will never tire of hearing you say that," he told her, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers.

"I'm still kinda in shock that I've said it."

"You don't wanna take it back, right?"

"Of course not, you ridiculous man. G-d, you're like a nine year old."

His voice dropped an octave, his eyes growing darker. His voice sounded almost animalistic. "Let me disprove that statement."

"Think you can handle me, Castle?"

"I know I can handle you." He attacked her throat, the pulse point right where her neck met her shoulders. He began kissing down, down, through the valley of her breasts, before she expertly flipped him over and started in on him. As he felt her move southward, his body tensed. She noticed the change in his body as well, and paused to look up at him questioningly. He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face in defeat. He didn't want to tell her about this, but clearly he had to give her some kind of explanation.

"I have to tell you something," he told her. He hated the look that flashed across her face before her poker face returned, because he knew she was thinking it had to be something about cheating on her.

"Wha...what is it?" she questioned, leaning back onto her heels, clearly scared of the answer.

"Tyson. When he came to me when I was in holding, he told me how he was able to do everything. He told me that he had stood in my living room...watched me and Alexis walking down the street. Watched-" he gulped, fearing how she would react. "He said he watched us make love."

She suddenly felt very violated. She brought the blanket up around her, even though she was still fully dressed. "He- He said that?"

"Yea. You can see why I'm a little hesitant."

"Oh my G-d," she said. "I just...I just can't believe this."

"Kate, like you said, he wouldn't stay in the city, right? It's not like he's gonna be here every time."

"It's just so...personal." Kate was on the verge of tears.

"I know, Katie, I know. Come here."

She crawled back up the bed, and laid her head on his chest. "Are we ever going to be able to be happy without murder and mayhem and scores to settle hanging over our heads?"

"I don't know, Kate. But whatever it is, it is. And I'll be by your side no matter what."

"I know. I want you with me all the time." She was surprised at how open and honest and exposed she was with him. But he was that type of person that would never use her admissions against her.

He pulled her closer against him just for a moment, just to remind himself that she was there and that they were both safe.

After a few moments of silence, he spoke, "Hey, why don't we get out of here? Go to the park? See a movie? Anything to get our minds off of...this."

"A day at the park sounds nice. Can we go to Aroma too?"

"Anything you want, my love, anything you want."

* * *

**Well, there you have it. If you don't know what Aroma is, it's this amazing little coffee shop from Israel. There's only three in NYC, and one in Jersey. I think there's one in Florida too, but I haven't been to that one cause I live around NYC and Jersey. If you wanna know, search 'Aroma Espresso Bar,' and buy an Ice Aroma. Heaven.  
**

**Comments?  
**


	3. Joanna

**Magic! An update from NCIS-Addict-4427! Hard to believe, I know. Please enjoy this fic. It's a little difficult to follow, but I think you can get through it. I explain at the end. Enjoy!**

* * *

For Rick Castle, it was a great day to be alive. He had a beautiful wife, two beautiful daughters, and he couldn't ask for anything more from the world.

"Rick?"

"Yea, Babe?"

Kate came and stood at the doorway to their bedroom, where he was just closing his belt. "Don't call me babe," she huffed, and adorable look of mock frustration on her face. "I was just coming to see if you were almost ready. We're going to be late as it is."

Kate's innocent shower had quickly turned into a couple's shower, and easily put them behind schedule. Rick, Kate, and their little cherub Joanna were going to the park with Kate's father today. Rick liked Kate's dad, and Kate's dad didn't want to kill him for getting his daughter pregnant. All was well. Kate was clad in a basic white vee neck tee, some blue skinny jeans, and her favorite chucks, hair swept up into a loose ponytail, with a few tendrils of hair framing her face. With a giggly Joanna on her hip, Kate never looked more beautiful.

"Richard!"

"Huh?"

"Snap out of it and answer me. Are you almost ready?"

He shook his head to get his head in the right place. "Almost. Just need to put my shoes on."

"Well, hurry up."

"Yes, dear," he answered with a chuckle. He finished lacing up his shoes and stood up. "Ready to go." He walked over to where his wife stood. "Come on, _babe."_

She lightly slapped his chest. "Stop it."

"Love you, too." He gently kissed her lips, then turned to his baby. "Come on, baby girl, let's go see Pop-pop!" Kate laughed a care-free laugh that made his heart soar. "Time for some family time!" He declared as they headed out the door.

They were having a great day. They had already visited the zoo and strolled through the park for an hour. They had now ended up at the playground. Kate was playing with Joanna, overprotective as always, following her little girl through all the parts of the jungle gym. Rick and Jim, on the other hand, were sitting on a bench nearby, watching the woman they both loved play with her baby.

"So, Rick, man to man. How's everything?"

"Everything's great. Things...things couldn't be more perfect."

"Even with the baby and all?"

"Yea, of course. Anna's a dream. She's slept through the night since she was a week old. She's perfect. Kate's perfect. Everything's..." He sighed. "...Perfect."

"That's great. Sounds like everything's going great for you guys. I am so glad Katie's happy."

"Believe me, me too. Anna's so much like Kate already. Such a good baby."

"You mean my daughter?" Jim asked, looking at the younger man inredulously.

"Yeah?"

"She told you she was a good baby?"

"Uh-huh."

The older man scoffed. "Ha. Kate? A good baby? That's funny. Joanna's a saint compared to Kate as a baby. She was a terror."

"Really?"

"An absolute terror. She never changed." He chuckled at his own joke. "She stayed like that through high school."

At that moment, Kate jogged up to them with Joanna on her hip. "Hey, Rick." She kissed Rick on the cheek. "Hey dad. What lies are you telling about me now, huh?"

"Ha! I think we should discuss the lies you've been telling your husband." Kate looked at him quizzically.

"You? A good baby?"

"Oh. That..."

"Yes, _that."_ Rick answered. "Why did you tell me you were a good baby, Kate?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

"Worry? Why would I worry?"

She sighed. "You think Anna's gonna be a dream like Alexis. You're forgetting she has me in her. She's going to be trouble."

"Honey, we don't know that! She has me in her too! She can't be all bad!"

"Having you in her just means she's going to be hyperactive and be able to come up with more imaginative excuses for why she was out so late."

* * *

_"What on EARTH are you wearing?" Rick was horrified. If Joanna thought she was leaving the house looking like that, she had another thing coming. _

"_What, dad?" she answered, clearly annoyed. _

"_You are NOT going out in New York City looking like…like-"_

"_MOM!" she yelled. Her dad was making her late for her date with Kyle. The younger Castles poked their heads out at the top of the stairs, intrigued by the commotion down stairs. _

"_Go to your room!" Rick huffed, already exasperated with one child, let alone another two. _

"_What, what?" Kate answered, coming out of the bedroom to see what was possibly causing such a ruckus. _

"_Dad won't let me leave," Joanna announced, folding her arms over her chest and jutting her hip out in true teenager fashion. Rick couldn't help but think how she looked exactly like Kate when she was annoyed._

"_Because she looks like a stripper," he stated matter-of-factly. _

"_Hey!"_

"_Rick, do not over-exaggerate. You look fine, sweetie. Pull that skirt down to where it belongs, though." Kate knew she'd hike it up again as soon as she was out the door, but what's a mother to do? With a glare at her mom, she pulled the skirt down. "Very good." _

"_Can I go now?" she whined, the Castle in her coming out more than Kate would've liked._

"_Of course. Call us when you get there." She planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Have fun."_

"_But not too much fun!" Rick called after her as she slammed the door shut. _

"_Kate! How could you let her go out like that!?"_

"_Because nothing we say is going to change things."_

_He pouted. "But she's my little girl."_

"_I know," she answered, wrapping her arms around him, kissing him gently. "She's young. Let her be. Don't you remember being her age?"_

"_Yes. That's exactly why I'm worried." She chuckled as she gently pulled him onto the couch with her. He buried his head in her hair. "Why did she have to be born with your 'trouble gene?'" _

"**My **_trouble gene? What about _**yours**_, Mr. Castle?"_

"_Alexis was just fine. Your genes ruined my baby girl."_

"_Nothing ruined your daughter. She's a teenager. And she's my baby girl too, you know."_

"_I know," he said, squeezing her shoulders. "I remember you being pregnant with her. Which is why I can't believe my precious baby has become…whatever just left our house."_

"_Honey, I know you're freaked out, but believe me, it could be much worse."_

"_You're telling me this ISN'T as bad as it gets!?" he squeaks, his vivid and overactive imagination betraying him with images of various scenarios involving his daughter-_

"_Rick!" Kate snapped him back to reality, knowing all too well where his mind had gone, _

_He sighed. "Really, Kate? Worse?"_

_She grew quiet, subdued, her eyes downcast. "By the time I was her age, I had been playing baseball for quite a while already." When it was clear he wasn't following, she continued. "I, uh, was a prop at rounding bases, and was even better at getting to home plate."_

_His eyes widened. Oh. __Oh. __"Oh, Kate," he cooed, seeing the shame swimming in her eyes. He pulled her even closer to him, protective of the woman he loved, even as a promiscuous teen. He was surprised at the serious turn their conversation had taken. _

"_I thank G-d Anna's only doing what she's doing, and not what I did." _

"_You don't think it'll…escalate…right?_

"_I don't know. I dove right in. But I wasn't one for maintaining relationships. Anna's been with Kyle for six months, and they seem happy."_

"_Not too happy, I hope."_

"_They're not there yet. She told me."_

"_She told you?"_

"_She said she knows she's not ready, and he respects that, so they're waiting."_

"_That's my girl!"_

"_That's why I see no harm in letting her wear a little too much makeup, or whatever. She's a good kid. _

_It'll all be okay."_

"_We did a great job with her, didn't we?"_

"_Anna? Maybe. But let's not count our chickens before our other eggs hatch."_

* * *

"Rick?"

"Huh? What?"

"Daydreaming, no doubt," Kate told her father, rolling her eyes.

"My baby's going to be a monster like _you, _Kate! Give me my daughter!" chuckling, Kate passed baby Joanna to her husband.

"Eh," the older gentleman shrugged. "Katie wasn't all bad. I mean, look at the beautiful woman she's become today."

"I would have to agree with you there, sir," Rick answered, beaming at the woman he was so proud to call his.

* * *

"_Hey, Esposito," Detective Sussner called as she rounded the corner. "I have a question about this case..." She was surprised to see Esposito holding a little girl. "Who's the cutie?" She asked, walking over to Esposito, who was sitting at his desk with the girl standing on his lap._

"_Hi!" The girl chirped at her, clearly not one to be shy._

"_This, Detective Sussner, is Joanna."_

"_Why hello there, sweetie! How old are you?"_

"_One! Half!" She smiled proudly._

"_Yea, she's about a year and a half now," Esposito agreed with the baby. _

"_Whose baby is she?" The new detective asked, bending over to be on Joanna's eye level._

"_She's Rick & Kate's daughter," he answered._

"_I can see that now," she replied. "A better question is why you have her."_

"_Beckett and Castle went to talk to a suspect. I'm watching her until they get back."_

_At that moment, Beckett and Castle returned to the precint. _

"_Ryan, dig up all you can on Eddie Reynolds." Kate commanded, fully in cop mode. Upon seeing her daughter, her face softened into a smile._

"_Mommy!"_

"_Hey baby," she whispered, taking Joanna from Esposito and picking her up. "Thanks for watching er, Espo."_

"_No problem. She's always an angel."_

"_Unlike her father."_

"_Daddy nine!" Joanna yelled, smiling up at her mother. She was, in her baby-like way, repeating Kate's nickname for him, a nine year old on sugar rush. _

"_That's right, baby," Kate told her, kissing her forehead._

"_Sussner!" Until that moment, Kate hadn't noticed Detective Sussner standing there awkwardly._

"_Diana! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you standing there."_

"_It's okay, Detective. Your little girl is adorable."_

"_Thank you," she answered, snuggling her baby closer to her. _

"_Me cute!" Joanna said, always a bundle of energy._

"_She's such a ham," said Kate, smiling. "That she gets from her father."_

"_What does she get from me?" Rick asked, coming up behind Kate. He placed an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek._

"_Always wanting to be the center of attention." Everyone laughed, even little Joanna. _

"_She looks just like you, Kate," Detective Sussner commented. _

"_I've always told her that! Rick excaimed._

"_Sorry, I just don't seem to see it like everyone else does." She shrugged. _

"_Hey, Joanna," Rick said, taking her from Kate's arms. "How's my baby girl today?"_

"_Uncle Javi funny!" Everyone smiled. Rick and Kate loved their daughter's baby talk._

"_I've got to go," Detective Sussner said. "Excuse me." She left the family alone with Esposito. _

"_She's really something, guys. Doesn't give me any trouble."_

"_I know that look," Rick smirked._

"_What look?" Esposito and Kate asked at once._

"_The look that tells me you and Lanie are thinking of having one of your own."_

"_What?" _

"_Yea," Kate added. "I can see it in your eyes." _

"_Okay. Maybe," He admitted._

"_I knew it!" Rick cried, triumphant. _

_They planned on continuing this conversation when Joanna let out a big yawn._

"_Oh baby, Kate whispered, looking at her sleepy daughter. "We better get her home." _

"_Yea. I must've tuckered her out," Esposito joked, glad for Joanna's unintentional help._

"_Bye. Thanks again. Tell Ryan to call me when he gets the info on that Reynolds guy."_

"_Will do. Oh, and Beckett?" _

"_Yea?"_

"_When Lanie and I do have a baby? You owe me BIG TIME in babysitting hours!" _

_She stuck her tongue out at him and proceeded to walk away. "Bye, Javi." _

_[][][]_

_Later that night, Kate and Rick had just tucked Joanna into bed. "She really is something, you know," Rick whispered into Kate's ear as he wrapped his arms around her midsection. _

"_I know. Our baby is … she's so spectacular. I can't even...this is our daughter."_

"_I know. Amazing, isn't it? Knowing this is a life you created."_

"_Yes. Especially since it's a life WE created." They smiled as they kissed each other._

"_Come on, let's go to bed,"Rick told her._

"_Alright," she easily agreed. She leaned over to kiss her baby one more time. "Goodnight, my Joanna."_

_Rick couldn't help but love hearing Kate say that. He was married to the most incredible woman he'd ever met, and they had a beautiful little girl together._

_Was he not the happiest man on earth?_

* * *

"Don't worry so much, Rick," Kate whispered. "Everything will work out just fine."

"I know. I know."

* * *

**Well? I know this was sorta crazy bipolar, but this was a combination of three stories I've had written for a while and never published. I hope you followed it. The first thing in italics was a flash forward, where he was imagining what was yet to come. The second was a flashback from a few weeks ago. I actually love how this came out. I hope you liked it. Please comment! **


	4. Comatose

**Another random ficlet. This was dated 5/13/11 in my binder, and I thought "Hm, maybe I should finally post this." Spoilers for knockout, but I'm sure everyone has seen that by now. Happy reading!**

* * *

"She cares about you. And unless you're stupider than you look, you care about her, too."

Those words were ringing through Richard Castle's ears. He lay in his bead, hands behind his head, just thinking.

Jim Beckett had come to him asking _him _to protect his daughter, a woman they both loved more than anything. "She cares bout you..." What on earth could that mean? What had she possibly told him?

He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. Kate's father had asked him to protect her, and he hadn't. He saw that gleam behind the gravestone a moment too late. He let Kate get shot, and then told her he loved her. That was not how he wanted to tell her that- worried that she would die at any moment. After what Jim had said, he was planning to tell her- right after this case cooled off, and it never did. Absolutely everything went wrong.

He picked himself up out of bed, grabbed his keys, and headed to the hospital.

* * *

"I need to see Detective Katherine Beckett right away," he told the nurse.

"I'm sorry, sir. Visiting hours are between 10 AM and-"

"You think I don't know that?" It wasn't like him to snap at people for simply doing their jobs, but this was about Kate. "Look, I know the mayor and-"

"Sorry, sir!" The intimidated nurse said. She knew when it was time to stand down. "I'm sure you know the room."

"Thanks," he answered through gritted teeth, as he headed off to Kate's room.

When he walked in, he saw Kate lying in the hospital bed, the same way she had been for the last week. She had been taken into surgery immediately upon arrival, and she had been in a coma ever since.

He pulled a chair to her bedside and plopped down into it. He gently took her hand, sighing when he felt the IV that was still there. "Kate...I'm sorry," he told her, tears welling up in his eyes. "I should've been there for you. And I wasn't." He closed his eyes.

And could've sworn he felt a faint pressure on his hand.

"Kate?" He asked, pretty sure he was imagining things.

But then he felt it again.

Now he was getting excited. "Kate, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand again." He felt it. He brushed the hair off her forehead. "Kate, just try and open your eyes, come on, you can do it." He saw her eyes flutter, but stay closed. "Please, Kate." It was barely a whisper. And then, in a moment, they were looking at each other, blue eyes boring into green. He breathed a sigh of relief. She would be okay.

"Castle..." she groaned, trying to move her stiff muscles.

"Shhh, don't move Kate. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was shot."

_Good, _he thought. _So she hasn't lost her memory. I wonder if that means she remembers what I told her... _She started to try and get up. "And that's why you need to stay put."

"Castle, I can handle myself."

"Kate, I let you get hurt once, I'm not letting it happen again." She saw the look of determination in his eyes, so she sank back onto the pillows.

"Okay." They sat for a moment in comfortable silence, Rick still holding her hand.

Rick spoke first. "Do you...do you remember anything else after you got shot?"

She did. Oh, she did. She spent her whole time in the coma mulling that over, hoping she would'nt die so she could say those words back to him. When she heard his voice, she knew it was time to wake up. And to tell him.

She squeezed his hand. "I love you, too."

He smiled, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I should have said it much earlier. I love you, Katie."

Her smile quickly turned into a smirk. "So, you've waited this long to tell me you love me. Is it gonna take you just as long to kiss me?"

He got up and moved closer to her. Cupping her face with one hand, he leaned in and kissed her. This one was more slow and tender than their last kiss that was full of frenzy and passion, but full of just as much promise.

* * *

**There was more to this, but it was going nowhere. So I cut it out so I could post it. What do you think? Comment below!**


	5. The Blue Butterfly's Blessing

**A diddy I wrote around the time of the Blue Butterfly's premiere last year (AKA 2/14/12). I genuinely do not remember what I wrote; re-typing it here is the first time I'm reading it. Let's just see where this goes.**

* * *

"Kate's heart quickened..."

Surely she had heard that wrong. No way he was...well, _she _was...

"_Kate? _You're imagining yourself as the PI and me as the gangster's moll?

"No. I said fate. Fate's heart quickened. It's poetic."

And he moved on, just like that, he continued with his story.

Were they both really imagining the same thing? And why? She already knew he loved her so it didn't surprise her that he was imagining them in his fantasy world. But why was _she _doing it?

**_Because you love him, too._**

Whoa. Where had _that _come from?

_**You know where.**_

Ok, now she was plain old talking to herself. Clearly, Castle had officially caused her to go insane.

_**You love that man just as much as he loves you!**_

Well, if the voices weren't going to quit it, Kate was going to have to set them straight herself.

_Stop it, _she chided. _I am NOT in love with Richard Castle!_

**_Yea you are, and you damn well know it, girl._**

Ok. Now the voices were starting to sound eerily like Lanie.

"Kate? Earth to Kate!"

"Huh?"

"You spaced out. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. You were saying?"

* * *

Later, while she was at home, the voices started up again.

**_Will you stop lying to yourself already? _**

_I am not lying._

**_You are and you know it. What are you afraid of?_**

She stopped arguing and thought for a second, hugging her knees closer to her chest.

What _was _she afraid of? Hurt? Definitely. Pain, disappointment...Rejection. Definitely rejection. She didn't want to be just another conquest. She wanted them to be real.

_**You would be. That man has changed.**_

_Has he? _Kate wondered aloud, barely a whisper.

**_You know he has. _**

_What about him and Gina last year?_

_**You turned him down so he went with someone else. You can't blame him for that.**_

_When he never called?_

_**You let him win on purpose. **_

_Serena Kaye?_

**_You told him to distract her._**

_What about-_

_**Kate. Stop.**_She could practically see the voice rolling its eyes.

She sighed. She really had no grounds for her fears. And she wanted him- badly. Not only was he incredibly sweet, but he challenged her n a way she found exciting, enticing. He always kept her on her toes. He always kept her guessing. And she was really lonely since she and Josh broke up...

And the fact that she found him VERY attractive didn't hurt.

She groaned, a throbbing beginning in her temple.

_I always knew Castle could drive me crazy, but this is ridiculous! _she thought.

Not one to allow herself to remain so frazzled by a guy, and of the opinion that her headache had reached a new extreme, she popped two aspirin and went to bed, opting to ignore the voices for now and deal with them in the morning.

* * *

She didn't deal with it in the morning. Or the next morning, or the next. Party because she didn't want to, partly because she didn't have to. The voices left her alone for a few glorious days, but now they were back with a vengeance.

They had just talked to Joe & Vera, and the voice decided that this was the opportune moment to start up again.

**_Look how happy they are. Isn't that what you want?_**

_I guess..._

**_Listen to your heart Kate. I'm flat out telling you to dive in._**

She couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Beckett?" Rick asked her, confused by her sudden laughter.

She smiled at him, summoned all of her courage, and gently took hold of his hand.

He looked down at their intertwined hands, then back up at her, to see if she really knew what she was doing.

She giggled softly at the expression of shock on his face. "You up for coffee at my place, Castle?"

"Of course. Let's go," he stammered, lightly squeezing her hand, relishing in the feeling of her hand in his.

"Come on," she said, squeezing his hand back ,and pulling him down the hallway with her.

* * *

Back at her place, they sat across from each other on her couch, coffee mugs in hand. Rick decided to cut the small talk, because Kate was chattering. Now that he was here, in her apartment, she was getting nervous.

"I get the feeling you didn't invite me here for small talk," he hedged, taking another sip of his coffee.

_**See,**_the voice chided. **_Look into his eyes. You can tell he cares about you. He's not pushing, he's taking your lead but you're stalling._**She shook her head to clear it before she spoke.

"I have something to tell you. You may be angry, and that's okay. But we can't do this if I don't tell you..." she paused. He waited her out. "Please don't be mad at me. I couldn't handle it until now."

"I'll try."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I heard you."

"Huh?"

"When I was shot," she clarified. "You told me..." she took a deep breath. "You told me you loved me."

He was silent. She popped open one eye to gauge his reaction. He didn't seem to be angry, just thinking things through. His eyes were deadly calm.

"You remember."

"Yes."

"Everything?"

"Everything."


	6. Burned

**Hey everyone. Sorry for my lack of writing recently. I hope to be updating again soon! There's one chapter of "Katie's playlist" already half written, and I'll be writing a story loosely based on my trip to Europe, but with Caskett-y goodness. I wrote this because I was stupid and got myself good and sunburnt yesterday, and I decided to take out my frustrations through fanfiction. Anyway, enough of my yammering. Hope you enjoy! [PLEASE NOT THIS IS A T-POSSIBLY-M-ISH CHAPTER]**

* * *

"I can't believe I forgot to put on suntan lotion," Kate groaned as she entered the beach house, shrugging off her cover up to reveal the angry, red splotches that marred her body. Rick couldn't even admire her form when she was clearly hurting so badly.

"Well, I guess things got a little..._heated_...before you could put it on."

She shot him a signature Beckett glare.

"I...that was a poor choice of words," he amended, looking down to avoid the heat of her gaze.

She stalked away, ignoring him. "Where's the aloe?"

"In the master bathroom's medicine cabinet. You stay here, I'll get it." She sighed, and plopped down on the couch, squeaking a little as her burnt back hit the sofa. "I'll be back in a sec," he told her, giving her a small, sympathetic smile as he quickly slipped out of the room.

Not being able to stand the burn stinging her, she stood up and moved to the full length mirror in the hall to assess the damage. There were splotches of red all the way down her back, appearing in small clusters from her neck to her ankles. She turned and turned in the mirror, hoping that with each turn another spot would disappear, but they didn't.

"I got the aloe," she heard Rick call from back in the living room. She returned to him, walking with slow, calculated steps as to minimize her pain as much as possible.

From the front, he could appreciate her naked body once more. Milky skin that showed no hints of the burns on the reverse side of her figure; the soft swell of her breasts, rising and falling with each breath. Long legs that went on for miles, that could chase suspects in sky-high heels; legs that looked even better when they were wrapped around his waist. The hickey that was blossoming right along her collarbone...

"CASTLE!" Her exclamation pulled him from his appreciation.

"Aloe, right," he stammered, still a little in shock that she was finally his.

She reached for the bottle, but he shook his head, with a simple "Allow me."

"Okay, but no funny business. Funny business is what got me into this mess in the first place." That tugged a chuckle from his throat.

"It was very fun funny business," he told her, kissing the side of her neck that wasn't bright red.

"Stop it. Just keep rubbing in the aloe." She moaned as he ran his hands over a particularly sensitive spot, covering it with the cooling gel. "Oh, that feels so good."

"Gee, well don't I feel special. I tore those exact same words from your throat an hour ago." She could feel his smirk at her back.

"And that's why I'm in this state."

"Nuh uh uh," he chided her. "Don't you remember? You were the one who had to take control."

She did remember. Oh, did she remember. She remembered how they were supposed to be having a nice day in the pool at his beach house in the Hamptons. She remembered how he grabbed her and pulled her towards him for a searing kiss that quickly became something else. She remembered how her cover-up was quickly divested of, his nimble fingers tugged at the string tying up her bikini top, undoing it, and letting it fall to the ground. She remember how not long after, as his lips worked at her clavicle, his fingers hooked around her bottoms and peeled them off of her never-ending legs. She also remembered how at that point she could no longer take his teasing, and pushed him onto his deck chair and took control. After three rounds they were both panting, sated, and limp on the deck chair, Kate sprawled over him, with his arms wrapped around her. She fell asleep for a while, and when she woke up, her entire back was a shade of bright red. Which brought them to where they were now: Kate red as a lobster, and Rick 100% fine because she was on top of him.

_The bastard, _she thought. _The smug bastard. _

"I remember. And you enjoyed every minute of it."

"That I did. Now I'm enjoying helping my girlfriend feel better, because she's hurting and it's partially my fault," he told her, the sincerity seeping through his words. Kate relaxed her shoulders and let out a shaky breath as he worked his hands gently down her back, her behind, and over each leg. How did she get so lucky to have a boyfriend like Richard Castle?

When he was finished, he closed the bottle of aloe with a pop. She turned around and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Thank you."

"Anything for you. So what do you want to do? I don't know what would cause more pain or..."

"Actually, I just want to take a nap. Care to join me?"

"Sure. But first, Advil. I've heard it helps keep down swelling and irritation. You go up to bed, I'll bring the pills up in a minute.

Rick came upstairs with a glass of water and two Advil to find Kate already falling asleep on the bed. "Here baby, this will help," he told her, waking her up enough to take the ibuprofen.

A few minutes later, Kate was curled into Rick's side, lying on her side so that her back was off the bed and facing the air so she wasn't in pain. She was asleep in a matter of minutes. Rick didn't know where to put his hands, because wrapping them around her like he wanted to would clearly cause her pain, so he finally settled for one hand in her hair, the other behind his head. He watched her sleep for a while before joining her in dreamland.

* * *

**Thoughts? **


End file.
